v 20. I am here to tell you that you and your family are the focus of all Israel’s hopes.
Just as soon as Saul arrived on the scene God spoke to Samuel yet again, and Samuel immediately recognised him as the person to whom God was pointing him. Saul was only looking for lost donkeys – that was all that was on his mind – so Samuel’s invitation to him came as a total surprise. Saul’s reaction is only to be expected ‘”Why are you talking like this to me?” ‘ I don’t think this is any false modesty on his part; he came from a small family, and the smallest tribe, which was not exactly the place to expect to find a future king! (Shades of a stable in Bethlehem when the Wise Men arrived!) But Samuel pressed on and Saul found himself as the honoured guest at a Festival meal – with the finest cut of meat on his plate. And no more worries about lost donkeys either, Samuel assured him of that. (v 20) There are much more important things for the future king to concern himself with. God has the big picture in mind, but still coloured in the detail of a few missing animals.
That little thing speaks volumes to me. God isn’t just looking at the vast sweep of history, He takes in the detail of our lives because we matter to Him. What God wants of me today seems tiny in the context of human history, as insignificant perhaps as a few wandering donkeys, but it matters to my heavenly Father.
Got any ‘wandering donkeys’ on your mind today – little things just bugging you a bit? You can trust your Father to lead you on in resolving them.
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